


There's Nowhere Else (CANCELLED)

by Gravity_Flies



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Adventure, Cancelled, Confusion, Fantasy, Gen, Inspired By Over The Garden Wall, Long-Term Story, Lost - Freeform, Memory Loss, Missing, More Blood And Gore Than In My Other Fic, Mystery, Will Have An Alternate Ending, dream - Freeform, shorter chapters, somewhat AU-ish
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-09
Updated: 2014-11-26
Packaged: 2018-02-24 16:04:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2587511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gravity_Flies/pseuds/Gravity_Flies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mabel and Dipper Pines go for a walk- Why? When? and most importantly, Where? They don't know, but they're determined to get home- wherever home may be. Inspired by Over The Garden Wall, and rated T for some blood/gore and swearing. It will have an alt ending when I do end up finishing off the fic, but that'll be sometime in 2015.<br/>EDIT: Cancelled, possibly forever. I lost my inspiration, but I may redo this in the far future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lost

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Doritos!  
> You may or may not know me from IG, but I welcome you either way!  
> This will be my second fanfic, but don't worry! "A Pinch Of Sugar" will be uploaded every other day!  
> Basically, i'll be alternating daily. Today is this fic, tommorow is "A Pinch Of Sugar".  
> These chapters will be shorter, but this fic will go on longer overall, so stay tuned!  
> Anyway, get on with the fic!  
> -Fly

It had been a while since Mabel and Dipper had visited the mysterious town of Gravity Falls. They had last left the town with Mabel single as ever, and Dipper still hungry for conspiracy. The two had begged their parents nonstop to go back to the shack, Mabel still in search of romance and Dipper in search of some answers. Of course, they had to wait all through the school year. That was a pain. Luckily for them, on the last day of school, their parents gave in, and they left for Oregon a mere few days later.

That was the day. He was finally going to do it! He was going to tell Wendy how he really felt. He couldn't sing, dance, or play guitar, but he could give one hell of a romantic speech. Maybe now that he was 13, she wouldn't be too old for him? Sure, she was 16 now, but still... Now they were both teeangers that had to count for something, right?

"Wait-wait a second." Dipper and Mabel were walking through the forest, in search of- No. Trying to- No... What were they doing in the woods? "Mabel?" She looked at him, and seemed to also realize their lack of reason.

"Where are we?" She whisped, almost as if someone else was there.

Watching Them.

"I mean, we're in the woods. But where in the woods?" Mabel tapped her chin thoughtfully. Waddles oinked in response, snuggling against her sweater. "Don't worry, Waddles, we'll get you home!" She hugged him closer, obviously frightened.

"What are we even doing out here?" Dipper was starting to panic too. He had no idea where they were, or why there were where they were. "Where's home? Or are we in Gravity Falls? Where's the shack?"

"Dipper! We're lost, aren't we?" Mabel's voice was also lined with worry. "Waddles, do you know where we are?" The pig in her arms oinked playfully, and she rubbed his head. "I guess not, huh." A strong breeze bellowed around them and they shivered, huddling close together.

"We should try and make a shelter. You know, to wait out the cold." He picked bent down to pick up a stick. "Mabel, you go gather some wood, okay? Meet back here in- Mabel? Mabel!" His sister was walking away. He ran after her. "Mabel, what are you doing?"

She smiled at him. "Why make a shelter..." She pushed the branches of a tall oak tree out of the way. A house came into view, smoke swirling out of a chimeny. "When you can find one?" The twins travelled to the building, and knocked on the tall wooden door. A girl answered, her face painted with suprise.

"Travellers? Oh, come in, come in!" The stranger ushered them in, closing the door behind her. Slammed may have been a better word. The small room they were in had dark wood flooring, even darker beige walls and a large carpet that covered half of the room. A rocking chair swayed ever so slightly, and a fire crackled nearby. A chandileir in the middle of the room held four candles, only one actually lit.

"We don't get many visitors these days..." It was only then that they had noticed a boy was right behind the girl, and he looked almost identical to her. The two had blonde hair, through the boy's looked almost as if it was bleached white. Light green eyes stared at them, and their pale skin showed they never saw much sun. They wore matching white cloaks, each boring a single eye on the back. The girl's was stained with what Dipper prayed was juice. They both wore jeans, light blue and stained with dirt. "Well, not since... the incident." The girl elbowed him hard, earning an annoyed look.

"I'm so sorry about my brother... I'm Persephone by the way. That kid over there-" She pointed at the boy, who's face seemed to be in a permanent scowl. "He's Gwyn." Dipper tried to ignore the fact that his nerdy side screamed for him to run. Who cared if their names- Okay, he did. Gods of the underworld. That couldn't have been a coincidence. Their parents must've hated them. He reached up to touch his birthmark. Haha, maybe we have more in common than we think.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Mabel. And this little piggie is Waddles!" Of course Mabel wouldn't think anything of it. She held the pig's arm and waved it as if he was saying hello.

"And who is this?" Gwyn asked, squinting at Dipper. "Your boyfriend?" Well, all of Dipper's respect for the boy just flew out the window.

"Eww, no!" Mabel shouted. Dipper looked insulted. "No offense, Dippy." She shook her head. "Anyway, no. He's my brother. We're a little lost, and were wondering if you could tell us where we are." Persephone smiled, and shook her head. She almost looked almost... Sorry. As if she knew something they didn't.

"Sorry, there is no name for this place." As if that settled it, she walked over to the fire and warmed her hands.

"Uh, do you know where we can go to get out of this place then?" Dipper said, slightly annoyed at her dismissiveness.

"There is no way out, smart one." Gwyn snickered, following his sister to the fire. "Here is here, so here we shall stay. There is no need to go anywhere else." An ominous smile creeped arcoss his face.

 

"Because there is nowhere else."


	2. Moving Onwards

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WIFI IS A LIL BITCH.  
> I had to redo this chapter twice because of my WIFI.  
> YEP.  
> Luckily this happened earlier, so I had time to re-type it. (twice ;-;)  
> Hopefully you guys enjoy!  
> -Fly

_There is nowhere else._ The words echoed in Dipper's head, and he began to realize that Gwyn was right. He and Mabel had been walking south for hours, and they still hadn't seen anything but trees, trees, and more-

"Hey bro!" Mabel piped up, her cheerful words cutting through the somber silence. "Another house!" But it wasn't another house, oh no. It was the _same_ house, with the _same_ chimeny. When they walked in, they saw the _same_ residents as before. _It couldn't be true._

Could it?

"See, I told you." Persephone shook her head sadly. "The woods merely loop back around- we've tried every direction, both under and above ground. There truly is no way out."

"We've looked everywhere for a key, too- if even just a clue of how to get outta here." Gwyn walked over to them, his voice steadily rising in volume. "Every _rock_ flipped over, every _anima_ l monitored, every _tree_ climbed." He was yelling now, and the twins could feel the bitterness in his every breath. "So if you think you can get out, **don't**. Because you **won't**." Mabel was on the verge of tears, and she held Waddles close to her chest.

"Calm down, brother, they're just children!" Gwyn scowled before stepping back, and Dipper silently thanked Persephone. "We were no wiser than they were back then." Mabel wiped away her tears on her sleeve.

"We should go. We'll find a way- we always have." She grabbed her brother's hand, dragging him towards the door.

"What will that way be?" He whispered to her, worried.

"I don't know. We'll just wander around until we find a way out, or we can build our own home. The latter seems more likely though." Tears started to glimmer in her eyes once again as she thanked their hosts once again, dragging Dipper out into the cool night air. The wind whipped at their clothes, and Mabel head to use her brother's hat to keep her hair tame. Waddles stayed quiet, which was a surprise.

"We should've asked to stay the night." Dipper groaned, upset with his sister's independence. "I get that you want to go home as soon as possible, but-"

"Don't you?" She stopped walking, and Dipper waited to see if she was about to cry or if she was just really mad. Waddles oinked loudly, as if he too was suspicious.

"Well, yeah. Of course I do! Why would you think I wouldn't?" Suddenly it hit him. Mabel wasn't going to mess around. Unlike him, she had friends, dreams, opportunities... a life worth living that she would stop at nothing to get back to. "We aren't going to build a home at all, are we?" She shook her head.

"No. We can't rest, we can't settle, and we most definitely cannot become attached to anything here. Getting home is what's important, and we can't forget it." Their time spent in Gravity Falls had really made Mabel a lot more mature, at least when she wanted to be. This was one of those times.

"You're right. Let's keep moving." The twins continued their trek as the wind turned into rain, and the rain turned to snow. The snow stuck, and only got worse with every passing hour.

"H-how is this p-p-possible?" Mabel stuttered, the snow slowing their weary steps. "It's summer, I-isn't it?" Her brother was just as shocked as she was.

"I d-don't know... This place d-doesn't seem to have the s-same weather, or s-schedule as home..." By home, of course, he was reffering to anywhere but that forest. At that point a bed of nails looked more welcoming than the deep snow surrounding them.

"We sh-should reeeally sit down for a while... We'll be dead by morning if we keep walking!" Dipper could only nod, and the two dropped to the ground, hastily brushing away the snow around them. Mabel tucked herself into her sweater, much alike a turtle. Waddles oinked quietly on the inside. Dipper, on the other hand, was chilled to the bone. He could only sit there, slowly freezing in his tee-shirt and shorts.

"T-ry and g-g-get some s-sleep, Mabel." His teeth were chattering, and for a moment he thought he'd die, right then and there, leaning against the same kind of tree his very own hat promoted. He was shaken out of this thought when Mabel shrouded him in her sweater with her. The seams were stretched to the point where she wouldn't be able to wear it from then on, but it provided a warm shelter for them all. He knew it was her favorite, the red with a shooting star, but he was too far gone to argue.

"Good night, Dip." She smiled warmly at him, which was all he needed.

"Good night, Mabel." He tried to smile back, but his lips were numb. Her eyes were closed anyway.

Despite the cold outside, they quickly fell asleep, Waddles included.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Sorry it was a shorter chapter, but there just wasn't enough to say.  
> Too much info can be hard to input in 500-1000 words, so yea.  
> 850-ish word chapter.  
> Please leave a review if you can spare the time!  
> Love you guys!  
> -Fly


	3. Two Hearts, One Goal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Doritos!  
> I finally edited this chapter a bit!  
> If this is the first time you're reading this, ignore the line above!  
> Anyway, get on with the show.  
> -Fly

When they woke, the storm had passed, and the sun was beaming down on them. Dipper was the first to wake up, and he found himself sweating in their humid "tent".

"Mabel, wake up! It's morning!" He shook her awake, still surprised they'd survived the cold of the night before. She groaned loudly, rolling over.

"No... Five more minutes..." Waddles sloppily licked her on the cheek, and she reluctantly opened her eyes.

"Oh. Right."

The two climbed out of the sweater, and Mabel slung it over her shoulder. "If it snows again, we'll need this." As if it wasn't obvious enough. Dipper expected her mope around a bit, but she started walking immediately.

"Right." He walked right behind her, hoping they wouldn't run into the other twins. In a sense he wanted to stay with them, safe from the unknown, but he knew what was right. They couldn't give up on finding their way home. "Let's go."

The first hour was boring, and dragged on longer than expected- they were both still scarred from the night before, both of them knowing that they might have to suffer that same coldness again. The second hour was a lot easier, Mabel cracking the odd joke and Dipper... trying to be funny. The third...

"Dipper, is that the same house?" She asked cautiously. Before he let himself give up, he poked his head over her shoulder to see.

It wasn't.

"No. No, no, Mabel, we did it! We escaped the loop!" The twins cheered, not knowing that this house was truly only the beginning. "Let's go!"

The duo knocked on the door simultaneously, and immediately after it opened with a slam. The woman who answered had dark green eyes, long red hair and a fluffy lumberjack hat to top it all off. Dipper felt as if he knew her from somewhere, but decided not to bring it up. Mabel wore the same sense look of recognition on her face, and seemed to have come to the same conclusion. She wore a fuzzy green robe that was cut off near the ankles, which revealed her black slippers.

"Visitors? Wow, we never get visitors anymore." She shook her head, ushering them inside. Unlike Persephone and Gwyn's, her house was messy and inexplicably cold. Her fireplace was just burning out, and a throw pillow was dangerously close to it. A couch sat nearby, and various objects were littered across the floor.

"We?" Mabel asked, sitting down on the couch. "Isn't it just you?" The woman laughed, shaking her head.

"No, no. I live with my boyfriend!" As if on cue, a thin, pale man walked down the stairs, (which were so cluttered, the twins didn't even know they were stairs) a cup of steaming coffee in his hands. He wore a grey robe, a heart sewn expertly onto the left pocket. His hair was pitch black, and it covered half his face in a waterfall fashion.

"Who are these people, Wayra?"He asked, eyes wide in horror. "I thought Persephone secured the-" He was quickly shut up by an angry look from said "Wayra", and shook his head. "I suppose they get

more time, then. Better than nothing, I suppose." The woman shook her head. He had obviously said too much.

"I'm sorry. It's... It's not about you. It's... I'm... I'm Wayra, in case you didn't hear him. He's Rasul." Rasul, of course, was the boy from the stairs. "He's one of the few who can travel between the looping woods without losing himself."

That was it. They needed answers.

"What do you mean, more time?" Mabel asked, and Rasul quickly bolted back upstairs. "Wayra, what did he mean?" She continued, the intensity in the room rising to an even higher state. The redhead's eyes were wide with fear, and she slowly backed towards the stairs.

"I- I can't tell you. Not now. Not yet. In time you'll see, but for now... Please, don't give up." She turned around and ran up the stairs, the twins in hot pursuit.

"She went that way!" Dipper yelled, and they raced to a door at the end of the hallway.

"One..."

"Two.."

" **Three**!"

The twins threw open the door, but there was nobody inside. The room was empty except for two chairs in the middle of the room. They would've ignored them, but there was something... off about them. A ghost-like presence dominated the air, and it drove them mad.

"Mabel, come stand here..." Dipper ordered, heart racing. He went from standing on the right to standing on the left. Any normal person would think he was crazy, but Mabel felt the presence too.

"Dipper, you see them too... Right?" Mabel saw it. The objects slowly faded into existence.

"Yeah. Yeah, I do." Dipper saw them. His stomach fought to throw up.

Two hearts, one alive and one dead. They were both black and white, and just sat there.

Mabel stood in front of the beating.

Dipper, the dead.

They stood there for what felt like hours before Mabel finally spoke up.

"Dipper... You're giving up, aren't you?" The accusation made him think. Was he? Was he really giving up already? The dead heart in front of him started to beat. "These hearts... are ours, aren't they? When we give up..." She trailed off, and sighed wearily. "I can't lose you, Dip."

"I won't ever give up." He turned to his sister, who looked somber as ever. " _Never_ settle." He held out his hand, she she took it in her's.

" _Never_." She agreed, and the kids left the house, continuing their journey.

The two had never felt so pleasantly confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> I may go through it sometime this weekend just to add the final italics, but idk...  
> Please leave a review if you could spare the time! :3  
> -Fly


	4. Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> I've been thinking about what direction to take this fic in, and it may be a little gorier than I first thought...  
> Or maybe even less than I originally thought.  
> Either way, I have ideas.  
> Enjoy the chapter!  
> -Fly

Dipper had taken the lead, leading them through thick forests and down rocky trails. Mabel had finally agreed to cut her hair short, using the sharp edge of a stone to chop it to her shoulders. It took a while for them to get used to, but it was going to make Mabel's life a lot easier.

"It's been three days, Dipper. Don't you find it odd that we haven't seen another house?" It  was  odd. He'd expected to see the next house a lot sooner, and the few edible plants they found barely qualified as food.

He clutched his stomach, groaning in hunger. Looking at Mabel, he remembered she must be feeling the same. He looked at Waddles, who was snuggling into her arms. His mouth watered.

"Don't even think about it, Dip. He's family." Dipper was taken aback.

" Wh-Wha ? N-no, I'm not... I wasn't thinking about- Sorry." Waddles looked at him as if he was shaming him. "Stop that. It's not my fault you've got the body of bacon." He stomach screamed at the mention of food.

"That's it. We need to talk serious biz. Food." Mabel proclaimed, her face sick with worry. "Let's go climb a tree. Search the ground. Kill a squirrel, even! We need to eat!"

Dipper exhaled loudly, walking up to a tree. "I'll climb up here, you look for berries. Don't eat any 'till I inspect them, okay?" He wrapped his arms around the tree, using every last bit of strength to slowly ascend  upwards. When he reached the top, he couldn't believe his eyes.

The sky was dimly lit, despite a  grey stretch of clouds, and it illuminated a house not too far away. Squinting, he noticed that it had a lavish garden surrounding it.

A new house.

He slid down the tree, ignoring the pain from the rough bark as it scraped his hands. "Mabel! I found another house! It's just this way!" No response. "Mabel? Where are you?" An unfamiliar sense of loneliness overwhelmed him.

Not close enough.

"D-Dipper?" He heard a soft voice, but it was quickly swept away in the wind. He'd recognize the voice anywhere- It was Mabel.

"MABEL! MABEL? MAKE SOME NOISE!" Nothing. The quiet of the woods was only disturbed by the hushed breath s from the boy's mouth.

"Please,  help me ..." She said again, and he followed the voice before it faded away. He nearly tripped over her when he made it. Her body was on the ground, curled up into a ball. H er face  wore  an unmistakable  feeling of emptiness, and she shook from both the cold and fear.

"Mabel! What happened to you?" He looked around, suddenly feeling as if he was being... watched. "Did someone do this to you?"

His sister shook her head gently, opening her clenched fist. Green juice stained her palm, mushed red berries sliding off of it. "I-I'm sorry, Dipper... I didn't ask you... They just looked so good..."

Fog poured in from the heavens, and he shook his head. "No. No, don't apologize. You were hungry. You were doing what you thought was right." He blinked back tears.

He knew what those berries were. Dragon scales. Mortality rate: 100%.

He knew there was nothing he could do to ease her pain, and he knew she would die. He just... couldn't accept it. It would seem wrong to just accept your own sister's death. "I'm taking you to the next house. They can help, I'm sure of it."

She smiled weakly at him, and he knew she was losing consciousness. "Okay, I'll try to stay awake..." She whispered, and let him pick her up. "Waddles..."

As if on cue, a low grunt echoed through the trees. The fog started to clear slightly, revealing her pig. Despite his desperateness for food, he prayed he was just sleeping.

"Waddles!" Mabel called, but he didn't move. "Waddles..." She sobbed into his shirt. He... he ate the berries... Maybe even more than I did..."

He scooped up her pet, letting her cuddle with her lost friend. It might seem creepy to any normal person, snuggling with a dead pig, but he knew how much he meant to her. They seemed to connect on a level he'd never understand.

"Almost there. Almost there." He chanted, seeing the smoke in the distance. "Just a little bit longer, Mabel, hold on."

He could see the house in full view now, the clouds of smoke puffing out of a short chimney. The   paint was splattered on in pastel-like shades of pink, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. The garden was full of plants he'd never seen before, each one more unique than fingerprints. The door had a single star painted on the front, a suspicious-looking eye in the  center .

He knocked.

"Come in, come in!" A misty, feminine voice called from inside. He slowly opened the door, trying to support Mabel with one hand. As soon as he was inside, she was whisked out of his hands and onto a cot. "Dragon scales." She declared, uncapping a strange vial. "Drink this."

Mabel raised a shaky hand to the glass, and quickly downed it. Colour returned to his face almost instantly. "Wow... Wait, what about Waddles?" Dipper coughed, nudging her lightly. "Oh, yea, thank you."

"Unfortunately, your pig... Cannot be saved." Mabel's jaw dropped open, and she whimpered quietly. "But his soul... I can  try  to save that..."

Before they could protest, the woman grabbed Waddles out of Mabel's arms and lowered him onto the cot. The sickening sound of metal on skin  peirced  the room almost as sharply as the blade itself  periced  the pig's chest.

"WADDLES!" The girl screamed, but stopped when the body...  disappeared.

"Don't worry." The woman smiled, a cage materializing out of thin air. "Your pig is safe." She snapped her fingers and the cage door opened.  A  strange ghostly light flew  out, pink in  color . It seemed to perch on Mabel's shoulder, and an all too familiar  oink  echoed throughout the room.

" Waddles? Waddles, is that you?" H er eyes filled with tears, and she reached out to touch the magical  wisp.

"It's your pig.  D on't worry, h e's okay." The woman reassured. Dipper stared up at her, more thankful than he'd ever been before. The woman smiled back,  her shiny white  teeth formed into a perfect arch. Her long hair was dyed all the colours of her house, and her side bangs covered her right eye. She wore a  shirt with  the star symbol from the door plastered across  it, and her jeans were bleached brightly . A single white fedora topped her head, a little bow clipped onto it. L ong white gloves grasped the bejewelled  knife gently, and he knew she only used it for situations like Waddles' .

"Do you live here alone?" Mabel blurted, watching as Waddles f lew around the house.

"Yes." She said darkly, setting down the knife. "My brother used to live with me... But he had a different view on magic. He used his for evil, I used mine for good.  He told stories of ten symbols, and their real-life counterparts. I thought nothing of it, at first, but I soon realized they weren't stories. They were  prophecies ." The room went silent, but only for a moment.

"I followed a boy, once...  His intentions were twisted and cruel. I tried to sway him, but he was forced to  follow my brother's prophecy. He led himself to him, a nd, in the end, the prophecy was fulfilled." She paused again, and she looked visibly... scared.

"He too followed a boy. Their roles were quite... different. He was the twisted one, and the boy had a heart of gold. Unfortunately, he too was unable to escape the prophecy..." She started straight at Dipper now, her eyes boring into his soul. "And when my brother won, he and the ten others were all thrown into a labyrinth." She stared down at the ground. " eleven , if you include me."

_ Twelve souls _

_ Each it's own _

_ Lost memories _

_ Fake identities _

_ A star shining, not just at night _

_ Reaching high in search of light _

_ A mysterious clouded history _

_ Cubes that hold pure mystery _

_ A riddle that would stump a god _

_ Thin glass that keeps  normal from odd _

_ A broken heart will once again cry _

_ A streak of  color  bursts  through the sky _

_ Nature's warrior  continues to stare _

_ A helping hand will show they care _

_ But nothing can stop this prophecy _

_ Not the angel  with the star _

_ Or the demon  with the tree _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyway, I'll continue on from this point next chapter.  
> (So there will be no time skip between the two)  
> I hope you guys liked it!  
> See you all on the 16th...  
> -Fly


	5. Lucky Star Of The Tents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So!  
> I'm a lil bitch.  
> Sorry I didn't post this yesterday!  
> I totally forgot about a test and had to study >_

" _Eleven?"_ Mabel echoed. Dipper could see the gears turning in her head.

"Eleven." The woman responded, pursing her lips. "But it could be twelve..."

"If your brother came too." Mabel finished her sentence, and she nodded.

Dipper thought about it. "So it's obvious that me and Mabel were two of those people. You were also one, as you just said, but I'm curious..." It started to fall into place. He turned towards his sister, who was still deep in thought. "Could Persephone, Gwyn, Wayra and Rasul also be victims?"

Mabel cocked her head and clicked her tongue. "They had obviously gotten here long before, us, so I'm not entirely sure..." A horrified look crept onto her face. "But what if... what if those weren't them? But they still... _were?"_ She shook her head. "For lack of word's sake."

Dipper was confused. "Explain."

"Well, you know the hearts?" He nodded, listening intently. "Well, what if the others lost hope? Their dead souls would've taken over, and they would play their role in this... freakish, twisted dimension. Their bodies would just be... _vessels_. Their souls would be replaced."

_Hmm. That sounded vaguely familiar..._

Dipper was astounded. It made sense, but it raised a thousand more questions. "So after they lost hope, your brother would've shown them their place... And they would follow it." The woman's already pale face grew even more ghastly.

"They'd be brainwashed. Is that what you're trying to say?" She asked, her voice cracked and full of fear. Dipper nodded, and she looked like she might faint.

"How long have you been here?" Mabel asked, putting emphasis on every word.

" _Years_." She said blankly, just as deep in thought as they were.

"So you're either brainwashed, not part of the plan or have no concept of time. If not, I'm out of ideas." Mabel threw her hands in the air and, upon spotting Waddles, chased him around the room.

"Let's recap." Dipper said, trying to make sense of it all. "The people in the houses are all in pairs, except you. You're partner was either your brother, or you're alone. Let's consider it to be the latter for now, just to make things easier."

"Alright." The girls said in unison.

"So Persophone and Gwyn were partners. From what the second house said, they were supposed to get rid of us. However, we didn't give in, and we made it to the next loop. Upon making it to Wayra and Rasul's, they told us we weren't supposed to be there. They ran, leading us to the hearts." He finished, taking his time to breathe.

"Don't forget the thing Wayra said about giving up- About not giving up, at that." Mabel chimed in, still playing with her sprite-like pig.

"Right." Dipper agreed, adding that to his list. "They were obviously meant to lead us to the hearts, just in case we made it past loop one. The thing that puzzles me the most is how they disappeared."

The lady spoke up, filling the momentary silence. "What if they just... disappeared? If they truly are dead souls, they should be more ghost than person. They led you to the hearts-fulfilling their task. They were no longer needed, and so they simply left." It was possible.

"Well, it's as good an explanation as any. I guess that explains why out first "hosts" didn't disappear. They never finished their task." Dipper finished, clapping his hands together.

"Then we came to you- and you have no partner, so it's a dead end. Any more theories?" The room went quiet.

"Uh, maybe I'm just not part of the prophecy. Maybe I wasn't supposed to meet you guys at all!" The woman suggested.

"What if..." Dipper furrowed his brow in concentration. "You need a partner to get into these woods? What if your brother used you to get in, but didn't need you for the plan?" It came out more hurtful than he intended.

"Oh. Yeah, maybe." The lady's voice was meek, and she lowered her head, hurt. "I never thought about it that way..."

Out of nowhere, Mabel raised her hand. "Okay, this might be a bad time, but what's your name?"

Had they really forgotten to ask for her name?

Yikes.

"Oh. It's Sadachbia." The twins started at her in confusion.

_"Sa-Dish-Bia?"_ Mabel asked, and the woman giggled softly.

"Just call me Sadie. It's okay." Dipper was intrigued by her odd name.

"Is there a reason behind... Sadachbia?" He asked. The name rung a bell...

"I was told it meant lucky star of the tents. I don't get why, or if it was given any thought, but that's who I am."

An alarm was set off in Dipper's head. _Star... Tent..._

"We have to go." He blurted, and Mabel looked over at him. She recognized it too.

"Now." Mabel said, grabbing their new friend's hand and running out into the woods, Dipper right behind them.

 

_The little doll is on the rise_

_Planning his old god's demise_

_Watching as she hides in fear_

_She knows too well the end is near_

_Little does anyone know_

_They're already dead, head to toe_

 

They made it about ten feet away when the house behind them burst into flames.

 

_The girl who's victories set her ablaze_

_Finally faced her ending days_

_Instead of fighting, she accepted her fate_

_And was easily tossed onto my plate_

_I added someone to the hell of her life_

_Knowing they'd each go for the knife_

Sadie's screams ripped through the woods as she was forced to run away from her home.

 

_The next pair wasn't so quick_

_The girl was stuck in the mud like a stick_

_I showed her how she could be_

_If she just fell like her precious tree_

_After all, that was her job_

_You can't escape life even after the fog_

 

Everything she'd worked for in a year was burnt in a second.

 

_The boy was broken at his lover's demise_

_So I gave him quite the pleasant surprise_

_The two were always quite the couple_

_But in their graves their love had doubled_

_I really did bring out his best_

_Let's see if I can help the rest_

 

The bright flames behind them gave way to the darkness of the setting sun, and they once again were running headfirst into the unknown.

_Sister, why do you run_

_Can't you see we're having fun_

_Hearts will be filled with fear_

_Succumbing to the darkness near_

_My looping labyrinth will not be beat_

_They'll come out twisted but flat on their feet_

 

**"Let it begin..."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Next chapter will be posted on the 18th. (Tomorrow)  
> Love you guys! -3-  
> -Fly


	6. Cliff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE IT IS!  
> ANOTHER CHAPTER!  
> SORRY IF ITS BAD IM FREAKING OUT RIGHT NOW  
> I HAD TO WRITE THIS ON THIS ACTUAL SITE, NOT ON ONEDRIVE...  
> Why?  
> Because OneDrive is being a bitch right now, that's why.  
> Ugh.  
> Anyway, sorry it's short. I can't write tomorrow, so i'm debating how to write "A Pinch Of Sugar".  
> Haha... Fuck.  
> Hope you enjoy it anyway!  
> -Fly

Now, the average person may ask what happened.

Why it happened.

Who caused it?

How, even.

But no.

The twins didn't ask because they knew  _exactly_ what happened.

And who, and why, and how.

Sadie... Did not.

"What happened?" She asked, managing to calm herself down. Dipper and Mabel's past experiences with the unknown painted scars across their faces. They looked dreadfully weary, and breathed heavily as they came to a halt.

"Your... Your brother wouldn't happen to be..." Mabel started, but the name slipped out of her grasp. "Shoot. Never mind."

Dipper suddenly lost the name too. All he could remember was an eye, one big watching eye, wherever he went... "Same."

Sadie stared at them in silence. "So why... how did you guys know to run?" The words poured out in a blur, her confusion dripping from each one.

"I don't know." Was all they could say, panting and heaving. Though Sadie seemed unaffected by their sprint, the kids were tired and weak. The little food they'd eaten, the little sleep they had...

"You forgot? Seriously? Or was it a wild guess? I doubt the latter." She responded, her face pinched in suspicion. Her multicolored hair was frizzy from the wind, and it hung from her head. A particularly strong gust of wind sent the tips of it towards them, and she was just close enough so they could feel it touch their faces.

"Seriously. We do know half of what happened, though... Just not... why." Mabel promised, Sadie's demanding posture fading into curiousity.

"Fine. Spill the beans." She commanded, sitting on the dirt-covered ground. Dipper took a deep breath, the effects of the torturous cold outside finally getting to him, all the way down to his bones.

"Your brother sent us here, so he must've had a good reason. Something tells me he has full control over everything in this twisted dimension- From the bush of dragon scales to your house. He's after us. Determined to get to us, one way another. If he has to kill us directly in order to get to our souls, he will." A single tear ran down the woman's face, her eyes clenched shut.

"Even if it meant killing me." She concluded, nodding her head. "Okay, yeah. I asked for answers, and I got them. Thank you." She stood up, running her hands through her knotted hair. "I should get going now." She stated, walking away. Mabel and Dipper ran after her, their shaking legs almost collapsing on the way.

"Wh-where are you going?" Mabel stuttered, but she would see.

Oh, she would see.

Sadie stopped at the edge on a cliff, the wind whipping at their skin. Dipper swore he'd die if he wasn't already dead.

"Good bye, children." She turned around to face the two, her face bearing a warm, accepting smile. Mabel and Dipper's faces were as far from smiling as you could get. I suppose it would be hard to smile after seeing someone commit suicide in front of your very eyes.

She rocked on her heels, eventually tipping back. Mabel grabbed her arm just in time, pulling her forward. "No. No, you can't give up! Please, Sadie!" The girl's voice was desperate, and she was starting to sob. The wind strengthened, almost as if it was trying to pull Sadie into the darkness below.

Even if it had to take Mabel with it.

_"Your brother sent us here, so he must've had a good reason. Something tells me he has full control over everything in this twisted dimension- From the bush of dragon scales to your house."_

Oh my god.

"Mabel, let her go!" Her brother screamed, the ever-stronger hurricane carrying his calls off into the abyss. He could barely make out Sadie's response.

"If my brother loves me, and he truly does have contol over this dimension..." She pulled away from Mabel, and rocked back too far to be saved. "He'll save me. If not, i'm done. Good luck~!" Her singsong voice sounded too happy for the grim situation.

Mabel quickly scrambled away from the edge, knowing there was nothing they could do. The reality of the ordeal had started to sink in. Dipper pulled Mabel up to stand, but she fell to the ground in defeat. There was no way she'd ever smile again after witnessing that.

There's nothing scarier than seeing someone give up.

On faith.

On home.

On  _life_.

Dipper prayed she would cooperate, dragging her across the rocky ground. Her bare legs were scraped against jageged stones, her face not faltering. She didn't seem to register the pain.

Then again, it made sense. The pain of their mental scars would never be beat by any physical injury, no matter how horrible.

When they made it back into the thicker part of the woods, the wind was lessened. The trees cut off the harshest of the cold, allowing the boy's brittle bones pull his sister up against a tree. The twins leaned against it, Mabel wordlessly pulling her stretched-out sweater across the two of them.

Dipper was suprised they hadn't fainted yet. Looking over at Mabel, he realized she had.

Waddles the wisp sat attentively on her shoulder, not daring to make a sound. He cuddled up against her pale face before disappearing into her hair.

That night, he prayed.

He wasn't sure to whom, or what-

He didn't remember if he was religious or not, but he didn't care.

That night, he prayed to himself.

To Mabel, to Sadie.

To whoever's twisted soul had trapped them in this ever-worsening hell, brother or not.

He prayed for life.

For home.

For hope.

▲ _Look at them, sister. pathetic, really._

_Beautiful._

▲ _Whatever you say._

_Oh, please, stop acting as if you don't like them. Look at what they've done with their little knowledge!_

▲ _Weak._

_Look at them! Motivated by the most meaningless of things, but their devotion is incredible!_

▲ _Sure. Whatever you say, Sadie._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyway, sorry it was short.  
> And bad.  
> Should I add another warning to this fic?  
> Yeah, probably.  
> A lot of death is coming, haha.  
> Thanks for reading! Love you guys!  
> -Fly


	7. Binary Loop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah...  
> This fic is starting to get a little more hard to work with...  
> Basically, this fic will play with your mind.  
> And with numbers.  
> Oh, LOTS of numbers.  
> The "pairs" idea will be kept, and so will the "rule of three" idea.  
> What threes have you seen so far? None? Well, there's going to be A LOT.  
> And yeah, it involves a lot of canon aspects, but a shitload of non-canon stuff.  
> If you don't like demons, I'd suggest leaving this fic forever.  
> -Fly

Dipper awoke on an island. Standing up, he felt stronger than he'd ever felt before. Mabel and Waddled were nowhere in sight. He was about to call out to them, but he didn't seem to have a mouth.

Okay. That was odd.

_"I don't know, brother, are you sure? Are they the last ones?"_

_"Yes, I'm sure of it. The binary is complete, and the woods are being created as we speak. We couldn't stop now even if they weren't."_

Dipper moved closer to the source of the sound, intrigued by the strange conversation. The first voice belonged to Sadie- but the creature that emitted her words looked far from the human she had been before. The second voice seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place his finger on it...

_"Quiet, brother. I sense a spirit in the premises."_

_"Pay it no attention, sister. It's another lost child- send it away later."_

_"But it's Pine Tree, brother. I feel him."_

Memories trickled into the boy's mind as he continued to listen. Where had he heard that name before? It seemed so... Distant...

_"WHAT? Dispose of him IMMEDIATELY! Get him out! Anomaly was supposed to secure the timeline, wasn't she?"_

_"I thought so, but..."_

**_"GO!"_ **

Dipper saw the strange shadow float towards him, and he ran away as fast as his legs could carry him. The island ended abrupty at a cliff that bore a creepy resemblance to the one he'd seen earlier.

_"No use in running, Pine Tree... Oh, how did you get here?"_

The figure slowly came into view, the shadow fading into a colourful star. It was identical to the one on Sadie's door, and floated in midair. The eye in the center had four long lashes, each on sharp as a dagger. Two ink-like arms jutted out the bottom, and legs that ended in pointed feet hung between them. The strange creature sparked another memory.

_"Ah, Anomaly. She really did mess up this time!"_

Anomaly? What- or WHO- was that? He contined to back up until he felt his heels at the edge of the cliff. Trying to keep his balance, he stood still as a statue, staring fearfully into the big eye in front of him.

_"Fall if you want- I'm Sadachbia, master of space, both on earth and off of it. Though my brother rules the mind, I can still manipulate it far better than he."_

As if to prove it, she raised a single arm, her gaze shifting to a nearby tree. It rose into the air, and with a poof of smoke it transformed into a giraffe. The animal gracefully landed on all fours, galloping away quick as lightning.

_"Alas, it seems Anomaly had created another... Anomaly. How fitting, yes yes. Very fitting."_

The demon snapped and he was teleported into what seemed to be space. Despite that, he could breathe normally. How had he not been crushed by the pressure, anyway?

_"Wow, You don't catch on that fast, do you?"_

The voice seemed to belong to a strange triangular spirit. The demon looked quite similar to the star, but was dressed in a bowtie and top hat. He held a cane with a single hand, his other clenched into a fist. His yellow complexion had a pyramid-like pattern engraved onto it, and his eye bore the same blade-like lashes.

_"Don't you recognize me, Pine Tree? Oh, the fun we had!"_

Dipper would've gasped if he had a mouth. He remembered the demon, and how he'd infiltrated his uncle's mind, how he'd possessed his own body, and-

_"Ah, yes. You remember. I'm sure you've met my sister, Sadachbia. Sadie, right? Anomaly wasn't that clear..."_

Who is this "Anomaly"? He wanted to ask so desperately. He yearned for answers. It was quite clear he was dreaming, and he wanted to know why these demons were there.

_"Anomaly? Oh, she's another sister o' mine. The three of us control time, space, and the mind- I'm sure you can guess who's who."_

He felt a sudden need to wake up. He wanted to see Mabel, and tell her of his discovery-

_"Oh no, Pine Tree, you won't be telling anyone anything!"_

A new voice rippled through the star-filled space, and suddenly yet another demon tore through- literally, tore space as if it was paper- And boy, she lookeed like a time demon if he'd ever seen one. Her lime green figure was shaped into an hour glass, and I mean that literally. A black bow topped her "head", and the all-too-familiar singular eye stared into his soul.

Before he could react, she grabbed him by the hand, and flung him downwards.

_"Good bye, Pine Tree!"_

**-=[AWAKEN]=-**

Dipper knew he'd dreamed. He knew he'd found out something important, and he knew that he'd never remember it.

He'd lost all memory of it.

He remembers the laughs of three demons, and the twisted images of an hourglass, pyramid and star each burnt into his mind. He wore the few memories like scars.

Mabel stirred beside him, and he assumed she'd only just woken up.

"Awake?" Mabel asked tiredly, staring at him through squinted eyelids. They felt just as cold as the night before- and they both knew that there would be frost, even snow outside.

What they didn't know was if they'd live to see sunlight again.

Spoiler alert: Someone did.

Someones.

"Yeah, I'm awake, Mabel. Get up, we need to get moving." His tone was comforting yet commanding, and she obeyed with a weak smile.

"Yes, Sir Dipping Sauce!" Her body was still shaking, and she still seemed to carry the weight of mourning with her. They'd barely known Sadie, and yet they felt so... attached to her.

Why?

Well, they just didn't remember.

They would eventually, but their brains were shut down from the paralyzing cold. The only thing that ran through there minds was

Walk. Breathe. Walk. Breathe.

Like an infinite string of code, repeating for as long as they lived.

But just like a computer and it's code, they would eventually shut down.

Or break.

_Crack._

And much like the power from a battery, their hope would run out.

And when it did, they'd be waiting.

 

_It seems sick, twisted, evil and cruel_

_But I trust that they aren't fools_

_Deep inside themselves they'll find_

_A source of hope not in the mind_

_For deep within their souls it stirs_

_His just as strong as hers_

_And one day if they make it out_

_Their mind will still be filled with doubt_

_I can still feed on their despair_

_And us three will continue to stare_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, yes. Was it as bad as I thought?  
> Worse?  
> Yeah, I can see that.  
> Sorry.  
> I honestly need to have a whiteboard somewhere in my room to keep track of this info... It's getting out of hand, and when there chapters get more complicated...  
> Yikes.  
> ANOMALY ISN'T MY OC! Credit -> http://instagram.com/animabelanddapper  
> (Also this story isn't canon to the OC, I'm just using the character!)  
> Sadie isn't really an OC. She's my interpretation of Gideon's star.  
> Uh, yeah. That's about it.  
> Thanks for reading!  
> -Fly  
> P.S: I'd reccomend going here and reading the definitions-> https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&es_th=1&ie=UTF-8#q=binary+definition


	8. Update

So. ..

I've been thinking, and I was wondering-

How many of you actually read this?

I'm just curious, since my other  fanfic , "A Pinch Of Sugar" has been getting a lot more reviews.

If anyone actually looks forward to each new chapter,  lemme  know. I'm just curious, because if nobody cares too much...

Well,  I'd like to devote more time to writing a  fanfic  with more followers. I don't really know where to go with this  fic , so I might end it in a few chapters.

Anyways, on a completely different note, here's the new schedule!

**_ Sunday _ **

_ "A Pinch Of Sugar" gets a long chapter _

**_ Monday _ **

_ "There's Nowhere Else" gets a short  chapter _

**_ Tuesday _ **

_ "A Pinch Of Sugar" gets a medium chapter _

**_ Wednesday _ **

_ Break day (I work on ideas for days I get writer's block) _

**_ Thursday _ **

_ "There's Nowhere Else" gets a long chapter _

_** Friday ** _

_ "A Pinch Of Sugar" gets a medium/long chapter _

**_ Saturday _ **

_ "There's Nowhere Else" gets a long chapter _

If I end up dropping this  fic , or at least ending it soon, "A Pinch Of Sugar" will be updated (And possible finished, actually!) almost daily. As soon as I have an idea, I'll start another  fic  instead!

Sorry for the lack of updates! ;-;

-Fly


End file.
